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Hi My name is John and I am a member of 'The Sons of Shankly' a group of middle to old aged lunatics from Liverpool England who raise money for Mc Millan Cancer Relief. We cycled Route 66 in the summer of 2005 and raised $50.000 for the cause. In July - August of 2012 we are attempting to cycle along Route 66 again but will via off near springfield and cycle on through Kentucky and Vaginia. We will then be able to say we cycled from the Pacific in Los Angles to the Atlantic at Virginia Beach. If anyone could advise us about the route from Route 66 at Springfield to Vaginia Beach we would be most greatful.

Good luck with your personal adventures or goals.

Regards:

John & The Sons of Shankly

John,The Transamerica route crosses old Route 66 just east of Springfield, at Marshfield, MO. You could stay on old 66 'til there, then follow the TransAm to near Yorktown, VA and figure out a route from there to Virginia Beach, only a short distance away.

I believe I read somewhere that the ACA Route map was anticipated for 2014; are they still on track for 2014? Do you have any idea whether it would be available in time to ride the route in 2014? I just finished the Atlantic Coast route this summer and my wife and I are hoping to ride Route 66 in 2014.

I believe I read somewhere that the ACA Route map was anticipated for 2014; are they still on track for 2014? Do you have any idea whether it would be available in time to ride the route in 2014? I just finished the Atlantic Coast route this summer and my wife and I are hoping to ride Route 66 in 2014.

We are shooting to have Bicycle Route 66 maps published late 2014 so unfortunately, I don't think it will match your desire to ride the route in 2014.

Hi, three of us have had a great time cycling parts of Route 66. We've covered the first half- between Chicago and Vega, TX (just west of Amarillo). We are planning this year's trip between Flagstaff and Vega. Still mapping out our route - and have used the Route 66 route maps for New Mexico.

I sure would appreciate any tips about cycling this part of Route 66!

Plan to finish up next year with the remainig part between Flagstaff and Santa Monica. Very disappointed to hear that the Adventure Cycling maps/helps won't be out until the end of the year.

We have been having a great time. But we are concerned with all the interstate sections as we get further out west.

Glad to hear you've enjoyed your adventure thus far on Route 66. I wish we could have the maps ready for you sooner. Right now, the information is still pretty rough. It sounds like you found the New Mexico information ok, we are following a lot of what you see here:

It is planned that we will choose routes off of the interstate (even if it's not the actual Route 66) as much as possible though there will be times when interstate is the best/only option. We want a great bike route with the Route 66 history, however, sometimes routing will trump history.

For next year's trip out of Flagstaff, you might want to peruse this blog that covers the distance from Flagstaff, AZ to Barstow, CA:

A really fun section of Route 66 seems to be missing from the New Mexico Touring Society Route 66 maps mentioned in other posts. I have ridden the old Route 66 from where NM 6 intersects I-40 just west of the Rio Puerco, (about 20 miles west of Albuquerque) all the way to Thoreau, NM. Basically old 66 is the frontage road for I-40 from Grants to Gallup, NM, but the most interesting sections are where it goes away from I-40 near NM 6 and Laguna Pueblo. So here is how to find it:E-W: From Albuquerque there is an I-40 frontage road to Rio Puerco (take West Central Ave. out of town. Cross I-40 at the top of the big hill and ride along the north side of I-40). You have to get back on the Interstate west from Rio Puerco. Get off I-40 at the NM 6 ramp. Turn left and cross over the I-40 overpass heading south on NM 6. Turn right about a half mile at the first road you come to which crosses a bridge over the BNSF RR tracks. This road has bad pavement with some gravel areas, but it gets better in a mile or two. This is the old, undisturbed Rte 66! You can see the faint center stripe, and the old telephone poles are still present in some areas. Also it is pretty far off I-40, so you get the feel of the old road. After several miles a natural gas pumping station appears on your left, then old 66 crosses over I-40 again and meanders roughly parallel to I-40, passing through Laguna Pueblo, and Cubero, NM. Cubero has an ancient motel where Ernest Hemingway allegedly wrote parts of 'The Old Man and the Sea.' Keep west on this road and it eventually crosses I-40 again, and runs past the lava beds of El Malpais, crossing I-40 again and heading into Grants, NM where it is the main street. Keep on it out of town and stay on the north side of I-40. You will come to Thoreau after some miles. 66 continues as the frontage road from here but I have not ridden it, so I don't know if it's continuous or not.

Thanks for your ideas on Route 66! Suggestions from riders who have been to the area are big considerations for us as we choose a route.

Mcallawa, the route you described was actually considered as research was done, but because of some of the reasons you mention here (bad pavement, discontinuous frontage road, in addition to unsafe riding conditions), we agreed on the route you see on the New Mexico Touring Society website, after doing research and collaborating with that group.

Jamawani, your suggested route sounds beautiful! However, when conditions allow, we are trying to keep the route as close to Route 66 as possible.

In general, for our Bicycle Route 66, we are trying to follow Route 66 as much as possible, as long as it would provide a good long distance bike tour. The route will, however, veer off in places where we feel like Route 66 no longer makes a good bike trip (keeping our members and customers in mind). Things that we consider are safety, traffic, pavement condition, shoulder width, visibility, available services, scenery, and historical points of interest.

If you have other ideas/suggestions, please keep them coming. We definitely value your input.

I believe I read that the route has essentially been laid out. My wife and I are planning on starting from Flagstaff (we have a house in Phoenix) and riding East to Chicago in the spring of 2014 and then riding from Flagstaff to Santa Monica in the fall. I'm concerned about facilities & accommodations between Flagstaff and Gallup, NM as we're trying to make this a credit card trip without any camping (i.e., without having to carry camping gear). Can you provide any information about the towns and/or facilities & accommodations along the route between Flagstaff and Gallup?

I don't know what ACA has planned for the route between Ash Fork - AZ and Williams - AZ. As far as I know the original Route 66 is completely replaced by Interstate 40. To bypass this 19 mile long section involving 1600 ft of climbing, I took today County Rd 142, also signed as Double A Ranch Rd, out of Ash Fork. After 4.8 mi the road changes to FR-124 but keeps its name Double A Ranch Rd. It soon becomes a dirt road with a solid red-brick surface, until it gets paved again a couple of miles before Williams. It is a rolling, very scenic road. Of course it also involves at least 1600 ft of climbing and totals 29 miles, but in a quiet setting without diesel fumes. Dirt roads are also less risky for punctures than the shoulders of Interstates. Part of FR-124 runs along the Santa Fe railway. I saw 8 freight trains passing in the 2 hours I was on this road, more than the number of cars and motorcycles. There is no way of getting lost if you keep the two numbers County Rd 142 and FR-124 in mind, because the main road is much broader and much better maintained than the side roads ending on it. While a dirt road may not be liked by all cyclists, I would recommend it at least for eastbound Route 66 travel. Westbounders might try to outpace the heavy trucks on the Interstate.

We have not mapped out services yet, but between Flagstaff, towns with services are spread out at reasonable riding distances of 40-60 miles (see any map of the area). There is not much in between, though. So you'll want to carry enough food and water for the entire day, plus a bit extra for emergency. The area with the fewest services is between Holbrook and Gallup, but when last checked there was a hotel, restaurant, and gas station in Chambers.

Thanks for your ideas on routing between Ash Fork and Williams, AZ! We generally avoid dirt roads because many do not like to ride them, but we will consider this as an alternate if we have room as we are laying the route out. We may be in touch for more details if we decide to include this alternate.

Today I cycled the section between Gallup and Grants-NM. Having cycled fearlessly through LA, I have to say that I found the I-40 in New Mexico between Exit-36 and Exit-44 very scary. The shoulder is almost unrideable, so you have cycle close to the white line. Big trucks are passing in touching distance. Either the shoulder should be repaired or ACA should opt here for a safe but long bypass. Between Exit-44 and Exit-47 the shoulder was OK. From Exit-47 the very good and quiet road NM-122 runs to Grants.